By Raj Sivanathan –

The opening of Comfort Care Home, Hospice, in Sarasalai is more than the inauguration of a new building. It marks the beginning of a vital service for people in the Northern Province living with advanced, life-limiting illnesses—and a powerful example of what can be achieved when vision, generosity and careful cooperation come together.

The hospice was officially opened by the Hon. Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Mass Media. It will provide palliative and supportive care, free of charge, to patients who no longer require intensive hospital treatment. In a peaceful setting, patients can receive medical and nursing support while remaining close to their families.

For a community that has endured decades of conflict, loss and hardship, this kind of care has profound meaning. The effects of suffering do not end when conflict ends. Families continue to face illness, grief, financial pressure and the emotional burden of caring for loved ones. At such times, compassionate care can protect not only a patient’s comfort and dignity, but also the wellbeing of the entire family.

A vision shaped by compassion and planning

The idea for the facility was first advanced by Mr Kathirgamanathan Balendra of the United Kingdom and Dr Devacanthan of the United States. Donors and well-wishers from the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada supported the initiative. Their contributions helped make possible the land, construction and establishment of the centre, including individual patient rooms.

The project developed through discussions and coordination with local health authorities and government institutions. The result is a purpose-built facility planned around the needs of patients and families, with the services and staffing needed to provide ongoing care.

The hospice has 20 individual patient rooms, each with an attached toilet and space for family members to stay. It also includes administrative and management facilities. Around 20 staff members—including a Medical Officer, nurses and care workers—have been recruited to provide continuous care.

Patients will receive accommodation, meals, nursing care, pain relief, essential medicines and other supportive services without charge. The centre will work closely with Teaching Hospital Jaffna, Base Hospital Tellippalai and other major hospitals in the region. This connection with the wider health system is essential. Patients who no longer require intensive hospital treatment can be referred for hospice care while continuing to receive appropriate professional support.

Palliative care should never be understood as giving up on a patient. When a cure is no longer possible, care remains possible. Pain can be relieved, comfort can be provided, families can be supported and a person’s dignity can be respected.

A meaningful role for the diaspora

In my article Every Life Matters, published on 14 August 2026, I urged the Tamil diaspora to contribute not only financial assistance but also professional knowledge and experience. I called on health professionals, academics, counsellors and social workers to help strengthen services in Northern Sri Lanka through properly coordinated partnerships.

Comfort Care Home, Hospice offers an example of how diaspora commitment can contribute to a service rooted in local needs and connected to local health institutions. Its origins reflect the commitment of people overseas, while its development has involved donors, health authorities, government institutions and well-wishers.

The diaspora can continue to support such work through professional expertise, training, fundraising and long-term partnerships. That support should strengthen local capacity and work alongside qualified local staff and health authorities. Compassionate care requires more than a generous contribution at the time of opening; it needs sustained commitment to the people who will depend on the service.

This project also offers a valuable lesson for future initiatives: begin with a genuine community need, develop a clear plan, consult the relevant institutions, identify the people who will deliver the service and build partnerships that can carry the work forward.

A shared effort becomes reality

Dr T. Sathiyamoorthy, Director of Teaching Hospital Jaffna, was associated with the initiative from its early stages. In 2021, he visited the hospice operated by Mr Balendra in the United Kingdom and saw how compassionate, dignified care could support people approaching the final stage of life. During that visit, he discussed with Mr Balendra the possibility of establishing a similar free facility in Sri Lanka. Years of discussions and coordination among donors, healthcare professionals, government authorities and well-wishers have since helped turn that shared vision into reality.

At the opening ceremony, the Minister of Health welcomed the initiative, praised everyone who contributed and assured the centre of the Ministry’s support for its future development. He also encouraged overseas Sri Lankans to contribute to the country’s primary healthcare reforms, including the development of Arogya Centres.

The event was attended by senior government and health officials, including Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vethanayagan, health officials from the province and Jaffna District, representatives of the National Cancer Control Programme, and the Dean of the University of Jaffna’s Faculty of Medicine.

Comfort Care Home, Hospice is more than a facility. It is a place where families can remain together, where suffering is met with compassion and where no one should have to face the final stage of life alone.

On behalf of Well Wishers of Tamils in Sri Lanka, I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the founders, donors, healthcare professionals, government authorities, staff and every well-wisher who helped bring this vision to life. May this centre become a lasting source of comfort and dignity for patients and families across the Northern Province—and an example of what compassion, careful planning and collective commitment can achieve.